Love Notes by Rev. Kelly Dignan

Hello dear ones. Several months ago, I ran a little experiment to understand how many folks actually read this column. The results of the experiment indicated fewer than ten! That’s right, only two hands full of folks read my love notes. I’m not offended. There is so much to read and so little time! Ministry … Continued

adrienne maree brown (and yes, her name is spelled with all lowercase letters) is one of my teachers; an author I read and follow on Facebook and Instagram and all the rest. In her book Emergent Strategy, she says: “Emergence is the way complex systems and patterns arise out of a multiplicity of relatively … Continued

Over the last six months, I have mentioned several times a book called Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. It’s one of my favorites. In November, I gave a sermon called “Kiss the Rice” and re-told a story Kimmerer shared in the book. She was giving a lecture at a university and a beautiful young … Continued

My husband, Pete, told me a story about how a house he lived in caught on fire. The fire started in one corner of the basement near the furnace, and it spread quickly up to the next floor. Thankfully, it was contained and no one was hurt. He and his family had to move out … Continued

First of all – THANK YOU so much for the birthday card, wishes and gift. I am grateful. I was deeply touched by a story of redemption and forgiveness told by the ministers of Foothills Unitarian, and so I share it here: Dear Members of the Foothills Community, On Sunday we arrived … Continued

If you’ve been in my office, you know that the whiteboard on the wall lists the strategic priorities for Ministry for our 2017-18 fiscal year. Here’s a picture: Our fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30. Each year we define strategic Ministry Goals and Board Goals. Usually I would give you an … Continued

Dear ones, I write to you from an airplane traveling to Ohio. My father-in-law, Pete Dignan Sr., passed yesterday, and the celebration of his long life will occur in the days ahead. Although his death was expected, it was still a surprise, as is true for so many things in life. What I need now … Continued

At our All-Church Retreat, I led a session on religious language. We played a game where folks got a card with a tricky religious word on it and moved around the room to collect definitions. Then each person shared the definitions out loud. I thought you might all like to read what came up for … Continued

This is the first fall season where there is no “back to school day” in our household. All the kids have finished their education (at least for now). I feel a little melancholy, but it is beautiful to see them blossom and pursue their passions. Our son Michael (now 23), loves permaculture. During his … Continued

I am amazed at how many decisions get made on a weekly basis at our church. Large and small, decisions are made by teams of committed volunteers so that our church can live its mission. In October, a decision will be made, and the processes will involve more than just a few people or a … Continued

In late May, I got a call from a reporter at UU World, our denomination’s magazine. She knew we had participated in the #UUWhiteSupremacyTeachIn during our worship service on April 30th. If you were not able to attend that Sunday, you can hear the service by going to our website: Worship/Past Worship Services/ scroll down … Continued

One of my favorite movies came out in the early 1990s – Sister Act. A Reno lounge singer named Deloris Van Carter (played by Whoopi Goldberg) witnesses her gangster boyfriend killing someone. She reports it to the police who put her in the witness protection program at a nunnery with a new identity of Sister … Continued

This morning I took my regular walk up the hill from our house, across a stream, up some more hills until I reached my “sit spot” – one place I go to release and unclench. It feels different this morning. First of all, my knees really hurt thanks to the long hike I took yesterday. … Continued

Hi all – The President of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), Rev. Peter Morales, resigned his position today. Here is a UU World article that summarizes events that have occurred this week around hiring practices at the UUA. Here is Peter’s letter. Here is a letter from the UUA Leadership Council which I recommend you … Continued

“From you I receive, to you I give. Together we share, and from this we live.” Number 402 in our grey hymnal – Singing the Living Tradition. These words describe so simply how we help each other transform. Last month we focused on the first phrase, “From you I receive.” During worship on … Continued

The poet Mark Nepo says that on the surface of things, giving and receiving are about exchanges: “You need. I give. You feel grateful. I feel good about myself. You feel indebted. You give back. We take turns. But below the surface of things, giving and receiving become indistinguishable, and the goal is not to … Continued

Afraid that our inner light will be extinguished or our inner darkness exposed, we hide our true identities from each other. In the process, we become separated from our own souls. We end up living divided lives, so far removed from the truth we hold within that we cannot know the integrity that comes from … Continued

Our theme in January is prophecy. Unitarian Universalism is, and always has been, a prophetic religion which means we intervene in human history for the sake of social justice. Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker describes prophets as “brave and bold people who are willing to see what is happening, to say what is happening, and to … Continued

Our theme this month is presence. What does it mean to be a person of presence? A community of presence? I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’m living in a society of anxiety. (If you say that out loud, it rhymes.) The presidential campaign created a profound sense of separation, fear, … Continued

As a young girl, I loved to read. I read Nancy Drew novels, The Little House on the Prairie, and I’m sure I would have read Harry Potter if he and his friends had been around. However, for most of my adult life, I was too busy to read fiction. Working full time. Driving kids … Continued

Rev. Kelly Dignan is the minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder. Her column Love Notes is a monthly reflection on the upcoming ministry theme as it relates to UU theology. Learn more about Rev. Kelly at our staff page.